Prisoner of Love
by awesome dt
Summary: "Do you love your husband, Mrs. Nura?" "What! What do you mean?" "Will you stay by his side no matter what?" "Why are you asking me this! I-I don't understand. Please hang up before I-' "Calm down, Mrs. Nura. Are you prepared to hear what I'm gonna say?" ". . . . . Yes." "Very well. Mrs. Kana Nura, your husband, Rikuo Nura, is the Yakuza leader, Hikage Daito Ryu."
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

She had never expected this. Never even _thought _that she could be so lucky. She was just Kana Ienaga, a normal 20-year old college student with a normal family, normal friends and a normal life. Until, he entered it.

Rikuo Nura – everyone knew him. The most eligible bachelor of Hokkaido, no, scratch that, Japan, grandson of Rihyon Nura, the head of Nura and Sons, one of the most famous and successful pharmaceutical companies in the whole world. Rikuo Nura had everything; wealth, fame, charisma, looks, intelligence and a great physique. He was also a professional fencer and had brought home many international trophies in the art.

Both of them were radically different. She was a normal, plain-looking girl with a happy home. There was nothing special about her, maybe except her high IQ. He was handsome and _almost _perfect, with everything in life. They were even more different than chalk-and-cheese.

So what was it that had caused him to take such a strong interest in her? Strong enough to marry her?

She had first seen the white-haired bachelor when he'd accompanied his grandfather, Rihyon Nura, to their college for a lecture. The whole college was in frenzy, not because of Rihyon but because of his devilishly handsome grandson. The girls had already planned and re-planned their shoes, dresses, make-up, hairstyles and any other thing they could use to grab the 24-year old bachelor's attention.

Kana too had decided to dress up for the occasion though it was nothing fancy. She wore faded, light blue, skinny jeans, a sleeveless pink top that was flared at the bottom, a pink choker for an accessory and red stilettos. Her usually down, hip-long brown was tied in an untidy bun and she had minimal make-up on. But still out of all the college beauties, the one he'd noticed was _her._

Their first meeting followed by a couple of more accidental meetings and one date had given way to marriage.

But Kana was young and vulnerable; she'd been absolutely smitten to the young Nura. So when he'd proposed with a diamond ring – a normal proposal, not those down-on-one-knee movie ones – she'd been on seventh heaven and accepted right away.

Her parents hadn't objected. They were a bit anxious though, after all who wouldn't be for their one and only child? But Rikuo's gentle behavior and charisma had won them over too and they too accepted.

So the marriage took place in a grand way – they were the Nuras after all – and was attended by many celebrities, politicians, socialites and all other wealthy people. The media was in frenzy. The heir to an extremely wealthy family marrying a young, college girl? Yeah, right. But it didn't bother Kana. She was happy. Very happy, to say the least.

Two months passed. Rikuo was a caring yet distant husband. After all, they knew each other since roughly two months. Kana had thought he would get used to her and they'd have a happy marriage like the ones she saw in those romance movies.

But no. That wasn't the case at all. With time, Rikuo grew more and more distant while Kana could just watch, as he began slipping through her fingers. But then, he was never hers to begin with.

So Rikuo started coming home late, spending more time at his work. There were nights when he didn't come at all and Kana had only her pillows for comfort on their large, white bed. He started ignoring her, staying polite but distant. Soon, their relationship was nothing more than of strangers. Kana never questioned him though. She'd always been like that. Shy and timid and unable to stand up for herself.

One day, tired of everything, she decided to return to her parents. She would've been gone too, if not for that phone call.

The phone call which told her about Rikuo's dark secret. The phone call due to which she had sleepless nights.

The phone call which destroyed her life.


	2. Chapter 1 - A thrilling announcement

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Hello, dear readers! This is my first Nurarihyon fanfic and I hope you guys like it! I love RikuKana but as I can see, there are very few fanfics for this couple, which is quite sad. Even ones that have been started have been abandoned by their authors. **

**Special thanks to DennouWriter, Nakumare, Windkikyo and The-Crest-Of-Anubis for supporting my amateurish story! AND THANKS TO ALL THOSE SILENT READERS OUT THERE AS WELL!**

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**Ch. 1 – A thrilling announcement**

"When a body having uniformly accelerated motion travels in a straight line, the relationships between its initial velocities, final velocity, acceleration during its motion . . . . . ."

Kana turned to stare out of the window, clearly not enthusiastic to pay attention the long, boring lecture of her physics teacher about velocity and acceleration. Physics was the most boring subject she had ever encountered and most of her fellow classmates were bunking, sleeping, doodling or passing notes to each other. The only one who was paying attention was the school nerd Inugami Soryuu, a creepy smile on his face. No one ever figured out how could the silver-haired boy understand or enjoy such boring instructions.

Kana focused her attention on the two little sparrows on the window sill, who seemed to be chatting with each other about everyday routines in their cute, high-pitched chirps. She felt a small smile creep to her face at the lively behavior of the sparrows. Kana could never place a finger on the reason for her fondness for the little beings; maybe because her hair was the same shade of brown as their feathers? Or maybe because of their bubbly nature? If it was either of the two or a combination of both, the brunette couldn't decide.

Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling recess and the two sparrows fluttered away, alarmed at the shrill and annoying sound. Everyone dashed out as fast as they could while a few were waking up from their deep slumber. After placing her books inside her bag, Kana got up from her chair and was about to walk out of the class when she heard her physics teacher call for her.

"Yes, Akifusa-sensei?" Kana asked walking up to the white-haired man who was collecting his own books.

"Kana-chan, could you please inform everyone to submit a project on the chapter 'Motion' on Monday? It should be at least 10 pages long with complete diagrams and tables."

"Okay, sensei. I'll tell everyone" Kana replied and walked out without any more interruptions.

As she walked through the crowded corridor filled with all kinds of teenagers, she spotted her friends talking excitedly in the corner about something. Natsumi, Saori, Kiyotsugu and Jiro seemed to be discussing something with a lot of animation.

"Is something interesting going on?" Kana asked, walking up to the group.

"We've got some excellent news to tell you, Kana-chan!" Saori, one of the sexiest girls of the College, looked at the brunette, her eyes wide with exhilaration. Saori Maki had a to-die for body with well-defined curves and long, blonde hair. Most of the boys of the College followed her like lapdogs.

"You know Rikuo Nura, right?!" Natsumi shook Kana by her shoulders. Kana could just nod, feeling dizzy.

"Of course she does, idiot!" Saori exclaimed. Then with dreamy eyes, she sighed "Who doesn't know that hottie?"

"Anyways" Kiyotsugu cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him "the good news, Ienaga-san, is that Rikuo Nura will be coming to our College tomorrow!"

Kana, who was out of Natsumi's grasp, stared at Kiyotsugu, baffled by his declaration. Somehow, the thought of Rikuo Nura coming to Hokkaido College of Science and Medicine did not digest itself in her mind.

"And how do _you _know that?" Kana asked the dark blue-haired boy, narrowing her eyes.

With a triumphant smile and a flip of his hair – at which the girls rolled their eyes – Kiyotsugu put on hand on his chest and one on his hip and announced "Grandpa happens to be an acquaintance of Rihyon Nura, the owner of Nura and Sons, as you all may know."

The four nodded their heads. Kiyotsugu Kiyojuji was, after all, a rich kid and being a rich kid he _had _to have connections to other rich kids and their families.

"So, old Rihyon told grandpa that he'd be coming to our College to lecture on medicine and that – HE'D BE BRINGING RIKUO NURA WITH HIM!" Kiyotsugu exclaimed loudly, so much that the passing students gave the group weird looks and started muttering about Kiyotsugu's sanity.

"A-Anyways" Kana sweat-dropped, embarrassed by the weird looks they were getting "How can you be so sure? And if it is so, why hasn't the Principal announced it?"

"Stop being such a worry-wart, Kana-chan!" Natsumi drawled, hugging the brunette from behind. "I'm sure Rikuo-kun will be coming! After all, our College is one of the BEST in Hokkaido!"

"And I'm sure Kiyotsugu-san isn't lying" Jiro grinned "He's always right!"

"Of course I am!" Kiyotsugu flipped his hair once more.

"If you say so . . . ." Kana gave in and smiled.

And with that, the group walked off to the canteen for lunch, resuming their normal conversation. As usual Saori and Natsumi were all about boys while Kana joined in their conversation from time to time. Jiro was talking about soccer and Tsurara Oikawa, his favorite A-list model while Kiyotsugu just listened to him blankly, thinking about tomorrow's events. Even though everything was going pretty normal for Kana, an ominous feeling formed in her heart. A feeling something bad was going to happen.

But Kana being Kana, she just ignored it.

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"Pl-Please forgive me, Ryu-sama, I swear it won't happen again!" a voice as hoarse as nails on a chalkboard pleaded. A closer look into the room would reveal a man tied to a chair with iron chains, his face bruised and bleeding. Blood poured steadily from his nose and mouth and mixing with his sweat, dripped onto the concrete floor below. Even though the man was in a truly pitiable condition, his perpetrators weren't moved at all.

The entire room was shrouded in darkness except for a table lamp which didn't give off sufficient light. The only things that the man could make out was an antique oak table, two men in black suits on either side of him and an unknown man who sat behind the oak table, his face hidden due to the lack of sufficient light.

"Is that so?" a voice, smooth and silky as velvet, came from the unknown man. "You swear?"

The tied man nodded vigorously, a look of relief and hope returning to his face. "Yes, Ryu-sama, I swear! I promise I'll work doubly hard to make it up to you!"

"If that's so" the unknown man seemed to consider "Okay, then."

The expression of joy on the bleeding man's face was insuppressible "Y-You forgive me?"

The unknown man leaned forward, his face finally becoming visible in the glow of the lamp. There was a cruel smirk on his face and whether the bleeding man was aghast because of the smirk or the other man's identity, is unknown.

"You" his lips quivered, blue and swollen due to the beating he suffered "You are-''

"Too bad for you" the silky voice interrupted "I don't give second chances." Then glancing at one of the men in black suits, he whispered "Ao."

The only sound heard in that room was a gunshot, followed by complete silence.

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"Attention all students, attention all students" the Principal's voice buzzed on the intercom, startling Kana out of her daydream. Chemistry was another boring subject she hated dealing with. "Attention all students" the sentence was repeated for the third time, this time drawing most of the students' and teachers' attention "Tomorrow, as some of you may know, Mr. Rihyon Nura, the owner of Nura and Sons is gonna be visiting our College for a lecture on Medicine."

There was no reaction from the students and some even yawned.

The Principal continued "And he's gonna be accompanied by his grandson, Rikuo Nura."

Almost on cue, the whole campus erupted in a bout of screams and shouts while all the teachers futilely tried to calm them down. Kana closed her ears, the screaming too unbearable for her and peeked with one eye. Almost every student was out from their chairs and screaming with all their might while some even stood on chairs and tables.

After a few minutes when everyone had calmed down, the intercom buzzed again. "All students are requested to attend the lecture at 7:30 p.m."

So normal classes followed though everyone was busy talking about tomorrow. The girls were planning on the clothes, shoes, hairstyle and make-up they'd do while the boys weren't in as much as frenzy as them but were excited nonetheless. After all, it was _Rikuo Nura _who'd be visiting them.

Kana sighed under her breath, flipping the pages of her chemistry book randomly. Her thoughts began revolving around the much-awaited celebrity, the one she had a little crush on. A faint blush tainted her cheeks. She'd heard about Rikuo Nura a lot and read about him in magazines and each time his name had been brought up, she'd blushed and felt warm inside. In high school, Kana had often fantasized about marrying him. But when she'd grown up, she'd realized it was impossible. Why would a wealthy, famous boy like him marry her, a common girl? She was just Kana Ienaga, a normal teenager. He didn't even know of her existence.

She was nothing special.

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"Now do you believe me, Ienaga-san?" Kiyotsugu asked with a triumphant smirk, as the little group met up again after classes were over.

"Yes, yes, Kiyotsugu-kun" she replied with small giggle "I believe you."

"Don't ever doubt Kiyotsugu-san, Kana-chan" Jiro grinned like the loyal sidekick he was "He's always right!"

"I'm so excited about tomorrow!" Saori gushed like a kid on Christmas "Rikuo-kun we'll be coming to _our _campus!"

_Rikuo . . . . . kun? _Kana thought and sweat-dropped

"Isn't that so unbelievable?" Natsumi piped in "Rikuo Nura in _our _college? That's awesome!"

"The one thing I don't understand about you commoners is" a familiar and annoying voice stated, which made Kana and gang glance behind "the reason why you get so excited about meeting a rich boy."

Kana narrowed her eyes at the people she saw. Ryuuji Keikain and his gang of preps. The Keikain family was the business-rival of the Kiyojuji family and Ryuuji always lived up to that conclusion.

Kiyotsugu edged forward. "What do you want, _Keikain-san?_"

"Cut off with the formalities, freak" the black-haired boy berated "Maybe if you didn't have such a weird accent and homosexual attitude, you'd have a girlfriend." All the preps sneered and chortled.

"Why you-'' Jiro balled his fists but Kiyotsugu put a preventing hand on his shoulder.

Ryuuji walked towards their group and Kana noted he almost towered over Jiro "And what are you gonna do, you blonde runt? Punch me? You're so short your fist can't even reach my chin!"

At that, the preps burst into full-fledged laughter. Jiro lowered his head and Kana felt a pang of pity flow through her. Jiro had a below-average height and he was very ashamed of the fact. And this Ryuuji had just rubbed in the fact.

"Mind your own business, Ryuuji!" Saori yelled, rushing to the forefront. By now, many students had gathered at the parking area to watch the scene. "Why don't you and your group of snobs scoot away from here? Do we have to pay you, to do so?"

Kyokotsu, one of the females of Ryuuji's group, stepped menacingly towards Saori "Shut up, blondie."

Ryuuji narrowed his eyes in vehemence and spat; his pride finally struck "How much do we have to pay _you_ for a night, Saori? I heard you only 'entertain' high-profile guests."

The whole campus erupted into shock gasps at Ryuuji's words. Kana stared at him, anger flaming in her brown eyes. Natsumi pulled Saori into a hug, whose face looked drained of all color. Even Kyokotsu and the other preps looked shocked. Ryuuji had just called Saori . . . . . _a prostitute; _in public.

"Why you-'' Jiro was about to punch the black-haired boy but someone else beat him to it.

Ryuuji fell to the ground with a loud thud, his head and back coming in full contact with the ground. Louder gasps erupted as more students gathered around, eager to watch a fist-fight between the sons of the Kiyojuji and Keikain families.

Kiyotsugu dusted his hands and stared at Ryuuji over his shoulders, his eyes filled with a terrifying glower "You can say whatever you want to _me_, Ryuuji, BUT DON'T YOU DARE INSULT MY FRIENDS."

Ryuuji wiped his mouth, standing up back on his feet "Why, you little-''

"What the hell is going on here?!" a loud voice boomed and the students cleared away as Principal Tearai appeared with Miss Yosuzume accompanying him. Tearai Oni, the Principal of HCSM, was a man as big and muscular as a sumo wrestler but bald and without the traditional hairstyle they carried. Miss Yosuzume, his eternal sidekick and HCSM's sexiest teacher, who always wore provocative clothing, was busy filing her blood red nails.

The eleven students heard the Principal's rave about "College Discipline and Image" and other nonsense, their heads hung. Ryuuji balled his fists trying to suppress his pride, but he couldn't take it anymore. He was about to punch the fat, old geezer when Mamiru, his placid cousin and best friend, grabbed his hand, shaking his head.

Finally, when the Principal finished his lecture, Kiyotsugu and the others apologized and made their escape while Ryuuji was made to stay behind – alone. "As for you, young man" Tearai towered over him "I must write a letter to your parents informing them about your undisciplined and cruel behavior towards peers."

Ryuuji's eyes widened in shock as he pleaded forgiveness to Principal Tearai. But the old-timer did not budge and walked back to his office, Miss Yosuzume following him, fixing her lipstick.

Ryuuji stared after them, anger and hatred reflecting in his black eyes.

"You'll pay for this blasphemy, Kiyotsugu. I SWEAR you'll pay."


	3. Chapter 2 - Criminal Minds

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Second chapter's up! Sorry for the long wait! **

**Special thanks to DennouWriter, Nakumare, KuroShiroNeko-Chan, Windkikyo and The-Crest-Of-Anubis for supporting my amateurish story! AND THANKS TO ALL THE OTHER READERS AS WELL!**

**Ch. 2 – Criminal Minds**

Rikuo Nura walked confidently into the huge conference hall, ignoring all the stares that were thrown towards him for being 'unpunctual'. He took his designated seat and simply stated "Excuse me for being late. I had some important business to take care of." And the white-haired youth said that so solemnly that it was hard _not _to believe him.

Rihyon Nura, the leader of the board, cleared his throat to attract all attention to him. "Now that everyone is here" he said, offering a short, unnoticeable glare to his grandson "Let us begin the discussion. As I was saying, the company has experienced a loss in one of our branches in Kolkata, India. It is a trivial loss but a loss nonetheless. I suppose all of you have heard about the fire break-out in the Nura and Sons pharmacy in the town?"

Everyone just nodded their heads, some clearly not understanding what was so vital about this that they had been called into an emergency meeting. Accidents took place everyday.

Noticing the unsatisfied expressions on his colleague's faces, Rihyon added "However, the matter is that it wasn't an accident but a planned sabotage."

Immediately, the eight surrounding members in the room erupted into murmurs and whispers, the exceptions being Rikuo and Gyuki Shikinami, one of the managing directors.

Rihyon cleared his throat and at once, the room went into a passage of silence, their eyes strained onto the bald old man who had this really calm look on his face.

"Now, as for my information regarding the sabotage, one of my informants out there notified me about some suspicious evidence that was turned up at the scene of the crime."

Majority of the room nodded their heads enthusiastically, eager to find out more about the crime. But one of the members in the room had a creeping nervousness in his mind. If he was found out, he'd be totally doomed.

"As for the evidence" Rihyon interlaced his fingers, placing his chin upon them "I'm not yet at liberty to discuss about it with you. But one thing I can say that our detractor isn't satisfied yet and will continue his atrocities. I wish for you all to stay alert and on your toes and report any such 'interesting news' to me if you happen to come across some. All right, gentlemen. This meeting is dismissed."

Everyone stood up and bowed and prepared to leave the place. Rikuo was about to go out the door when he heard his grandfather call "May I have a moment with you, _grandson_?" The way he said grandson felt like he wasn't calling his own kin but a spy.

The red-eyed man inwardly groaned but walked back to his place to respect his grandfather's wishes. As soon as all the others were out of the room, Rihyon berated "My, my, Wakana should really stop being so lenient towards you. You are spoiling day by day, Rikuo dear."

"You and I both know that I was doing really important stuff" Rikuo gritted. Sometimes, he felt like strangling his old man to death. But then again, it would only be a loss for him.

"Important work, eh?" Rihyon leaned forward, his expression turning serious "Did Nishizawa have any of those files in his custody?"

Rikuo took a seat and answered "No, he didn't. He was just an insignificant pawn. The knight is someone else."

"Hmmm" the elder Nura seemed to have gone into deep thought. "You don't suspect it is Ibaraki Doji?"

Rikuo's red eyes slightly widened but reverted back to their normal size again. "Tamazuki has an alibi and I'm sure he hadn't flown to India or anywhere else on 15th. Kappa's been keeping tabs on him. But then again, the fire could've been caused by another player, as you suggested."

Rihyon's expression seemed to have dulled and with a wave of his hand, he said "You can go now."

Rikuo sighed in relief and straightened his tie. But before he could walk out, old Rihyon called out "Tell Wakana to cook pork teriyaki for dinner today, okay?"

Rikuo's eyebrow quirked up. _Pork teriyaki? _"Okay, old man."

"And you do remember about our visit tomorrow to that Hokkaido College of Arts, right?"

"Yes, grandpa" Rikuo sighed, annoyed. But before leaving, he added "And it's Hokkaido College of Science and Medicine."

As soon as the younger Nura left the conference room, he was joined by two muscular men in black suits. They walked on either side of him and the shorter one of the two greeted Rikuo with a pleasant smile. "How'd the meeting go, Rikuo-sama?"

"Fine" Rikuo replied in his usual nonchalant voice "Thanks for asking, Kuro."

"Man, am I hungry" the taller male growled "Could really do with some beer and beef stew."

Rikuo smiled at that. "Don't worry, Ao" he assured the brunette "After you drop me off to Tsurara's, you and Kuro can take it off from there."

"You're the best, Rikuo-sama!" Ao cheered, with a huge grin on his face "Beef stew, here I come!"

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Kana stared at her wardrobe, scanning over each and every outfit. "This?" she asked herself, holding up a long, sleeveless, red cocktail dress her mom had bought her for the fresher's party in college. _Nah, _she decided, _too showy. _She continued skimming through the other dresses before finally deciding on a knee-length, puff-sleeved peach dress that had a baby pink ribbon below the bosom.

"It's perfect" Kana giggled to herself and circled the room, holding her dress close to her chest. She then plopped down on the bed, unable to suppress her smiles and giggles. _I can't believe it. I simply can't believe I'll be seeing Rikuo Nura tomorrow._

Kana had gotten over the white-haired man during high school, fully knowing it was no use pining over the much-admired celebrity. She'd realized she would never even meet him personally – much less marry him – so she'd stopped fan girling over him. But sometimes, the image of Rikuo Nura, his silky white hair and kind gaze beckoning her, calling her to him, would pop up in Kana's dreams as she tried her best to suppress her emotions. She was not the 'love-struck high school girl' anymore.

But the mere thought of seeing her idol tomorrow opened a new dimension of emotions in Kana's heart. Joy, excitement or infatuation, she wasn't sure yet but she was positive that it was a happy feeling.

Though something nagged her in the back of her mind.

That nasty feeling bugged her again, the feeling that something bad was going to happen. For some mysterious reason, since childhood, Kana always got those 'ill-omen' signs before something bad struck. In fourth – or was it fifth – grade, she'd once seen a dead butterfly, one that'd been full of life before being crushed mercilessly under someone's feet. Being the kind and sensitive girl she was, she picked it up with a piece of paper and gave it a formal burial, lining its grave with some yellow petunias her grandma used to grow.

And exactly a day after that incident, her pet dog, Cookie, died due to a car accident. He'd been crushed under the wheels by a drunken teenager.

Kana shook her head, trying to get rid of all the nasty thoughts. She tried to convince herself nothing would happen tomorrow. Rikuo Nura was coming for a visit and there was nothing bad in it right? Until someone tried to kill him off . . . . .

"No, no, no!" Kana exclaimed, shaking her head furiously, chiding herself for thinking so pessimistically. _Why would someone want to kill him?! Unless they're from a rival company or so . . . . . no, stop it Kana! Anyways, his bodyguards are gonna be there as well so I've got nothing to worry about._

And satisfying herself with that remark, Kana rushed downstairs to have dinner.

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"Wow, Kana, you look so cute!" was Saori's exclamation as they came to pick her up that afternoon. It was true. Kana looked simply adorable with her hair in a messy bun with a cute bow-rubber band, the peach dress she'd decided upon and red stilettos.

"And so do the both of you!" Kana smiled back.

Saori wore a black, cocktail dress which reached her ankles and black gladiator heels. The dress revealed a bit of her cleavage, her long, blonde hair had been curled and the fishtail silhouette of the gown accentuated her well-defined curves.

On the other hand, Natsumi wore a frilly blue top, a white mini-skirt and a cute, light pink jacket. Her dark-green hair was out of its usual ponytail and brushing over her shoulders, the fringes held back by a black hair band with a big, white diamond-shaped design on the side. She also wore rose pink wedges.

"Where are the boys?" Kana asked, walking across the driveway where her friends stood beside Saori's white Sedan.

"They're gonna meet us at the College" Saori remarked but the last part of her sentence was blurred by the loud engine-sound of a whishing Ford car. The car swept past Kana and before she could react, someone splashed mud on her from the red car. She only had the time to see Ryuuji smirking evilly behind the driving wheel before she fell on the ground with a thud due to the shock.

"KANA!" Saori screamed, rushing across the driveway with Natsumi in tow, towards her now mud-covered friend. Kana sat in shocked silence, the reason – being Ryuuji's audacity or because of her falling down – unknown.

Kana's face looked drained of color and it was only after Natsumi shook her several times that the brunette girl came back to her senses.

"I-I'm okay" Kana managed a weak smile to show her friends that she was fine even though it was clear that she was not.

"That Ryuuji!" Saori fumed "I'm gonna make that bastard pay for this! I swear he's had it! Not only will he be kicked out of the school but I'll make sure-''

Suddenly, the blonde's phone rang and after fumbling about for it in her purse, she flipped the red object open to see Kiyotsugu calling. "Just a sec, sweetie" Saori told Kana as Natsumi picked the brunette up.

"You wouldn't believe what happened, Kiyotsugu! Yeah, she is, I mean, she _was _– No, it's not like that . . . . . I'm telling you . . . . . Kiyo . . . . . . Ryuuji and his cronies threw mud over Kana . . . . No, they came in his red Ford . . . . . yeah, I'm _sure _it was his, I saw Kyokotsu as well . . . . . She isn't okay, who would be after such an incident?"

"I-I'm really okay, Saori" Kana stuttered with a weak smile, tears brimming her eyes.

"Oh, you poor darling" Natsumi semi-hugged her friend since the brunette was covered in mud.

"What?! 20 minutes?! We'll try . . . . Fine, see ya there" Saori switched off her phone and turned to her friends. "The gates will be closed after twenty minutes to ensure the protection of the Nuras. Take a shower Kana. Till then, I'll skim your wardrobe for clothes."

As the three girls, one covered in mud, went on their way outside, Kana couldn't help thinking, _Maybe this is the omen I'd got. Phew, at least I don't have to suffer anything else. But still, my dress is ruined. And it was my favorite too . . . . ._

Saori opened the door as Natsumi led Kana to the shower while the blonde went upstairs to her room.

But during all this time, the uneasy feeling remained in the bottom of Kana's heart.

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Rikuo sighed for the 30th time that day, staring out of the window while the black limousine sped on, followed by two more black Mercedes'. To accentuate his boredom, his elbow was propped up on the car window with his chin resting upon it. As usual, at least 10 bodyguards accompanied the Nura head and his grandson with two of the most trusted ones in the front seat of the limousine, which was separated from the backseat by a thin but tough bulletproof glass.

"Come on, Rikuo" Rihyon stated cheerfully, just to further annoy his grandson "It's not gonna be so bad. We're going to a College. There'd be lots of pretty girl who'd be willing to kiss your feet."

"And their boyfriends who'd be willing to rip my throat" Rikuo retorted sarcastically.

"But then what are Ao and Kuro for?" Rihyon put his arms behind his head and leaned back in his seat, with a smug grin on his wrinkled face. "And besides, I'm sure the boys would be too intimidated by your presence alone to lay a finger on you."

Rikuo just rolled his eyes and continued staring out of the window, hoping his grandfather got a migraine and didn't talk more.

"By the way, how are things with Tsurara going?"

Damn his luck.

"Normal" he replied, the fact he didn't want to converse more clearly evident in his voice. But, of course, this was Rihyon Nura we're talking about.

"Have you got any plans for marriage yet?" Rihyon asked as if it was the most casual thing in the whole world.

If he would've been drinking wine, it would've all been spilled over the black leather seats by now. "Are you trying to imply I _love _her?" Rikuo asked with an 'are-you-serious' expression on his face, his brow arched.

"Well" Rihyon put his thinking face on "You both are close family friends and have known each other for twenty one years now. I wouldn't see why not."

"She-'' Rikuo started unsurely "She's my best friend. I don't plan on _marrying _her."

"And why is that so?" Rihyon raised an eyebrow.

"Well" Rikuo seemed hesitant "It's because –''

Before he could finish his sentence, Ao's voice cut through the conversation "Sir, we've arrived at HCSM."


	4. Chapter 3 - Omens

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for the late update! Boy, am I glad to see all the positive feedback! So RikuKana fans exist after all!**

**Special thanks to Dennou Writer, Nakumare, Windkikyo, The-Crest-of-Anubis, Zhane17 (my totally awesome friend!), Fede194, KuroShiroNeko-Chan and VampirePrincess for their continued support!**

**Merry Xmas everyone and have an AWESOMELY Happy New Year! **

**Ch. 3 – Omens**

Saori stepped furiously on the accelerator, swerving her Sedan to the right; away from the path of an incoming truck. "Ne, Saori-chan, we've got only eight minutes left! Go faster!" whined Natsumi, constantly checking her cell phone. Kana regretted not seating in the passenger seat since Natsumi was annoying the blonde driver.

"Shut up, Natsumi!" Saori glared at her bestie "I'm trying to go as fast as I can, all right?"

Natsumi just pouted and crossed her arms across her chest. "Meanie" she muttered under her breath.

Kana just sighed, staring out the window. She kinda felt guilty since they were late due to her. But then again, it was actually that b**tard _Ryuuji _who'd splashed mud on her pretty dress. At the thought of his name, Kana's brown eyes smoldered. Despite being the most patient and sweet in her group, what that black-haired dog had done to her was . . . . unforgivable.

She rested her head against the cool glass, trying to ignore Saori and Natsumi's constant rants. She desperately hoped the gates wouldn't be closed on them. She didn't want anymore bad luck to fall upon her. Kana picked on the hem of her sleeveless, pink, butterfly top. Even though it was kinda casual, she had to applaud Saori's taste in fashion.

"Are you alright, Kana?" the mentioned blonde turned to her, concern written all over her heavily made-up face. Natsumi turned back to, her cat-like eyes softening.

"Don't worry, I'm okay!" Kana flashed them a bright smile, even though she wasn't as okay as she said she was. The fact that Ryuuji had done such a thing hurt her to the core. She hadn't thought he was _that _mean.

"I'm sure after seeing Rikuo-kun you'll feel a lot better!" Natsumi piped up, consoling Kana with what she thought were 'cheerful words.'

Kana managed an awkward smile and a short "I-I guess."

"I'm so excited!" Saori grinned "Rikuo-kun is so hot, isn't he? I'm sure all the girls will be fawning over him today!"

"Including you, Saori-chan" Natsumi smirked.

"Why, of course!" Saori said in Kiyotsugu's dramatic way "I AM one of the sexiest girls at the College!"

And the three girls burst into giggles. Suddenly, the loud honking of a car brought them back to reality. Kana was the first to get a hold of herself "Saori, look out!"

Saori swerved the car just in time to escape an approaching truck which could've crushed the three girls. All of them let out sighs of relief as Kana breathed "I think we could do with some silence now."

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As soon as they entered the gates, all the eyes were on the black limousine and its accompanying cars. Students edged over the rails and balconies, each and every eye hooked to the sexy, black car; the ride of the Nura heir himself. The guards at the gate saluted smartly at a brunette and black-haired man who got out of the driving and passenger seat respectively. After saluting back, they opened the doors to the back seats and every breath – at least of the females – in the campus stopped.

Rikuo got out of the limo with a confident smirk and crisp attitude which was one of the magnets which attracted the woman to him like steel. When the girls' eyes fell on him, there was silence for a complete second before the whole campus erupted into shouts and screams of his name. The girls were going fanatic as they approached him, the only barrier between them the Nura bodyguards.

Rikuo's smirk increased. He'd expected all this to happen. Actually, he'd have been worried if it didn't. Women loved him, treated him like a God. They were ready to place him on a pedestal and kiss his feet. Rikuo hadn't met a single woman till now who could resist his charms. And God forbid it ever happening.

After the crowd had somewhat calmed down, Rihyon approached the podium and cleared his throat on the microphone. His bodyguards stood in front of the stage in a straight line, Ao and Kuro at the centre, giving off an intimidating aura to anyone who got too close. Rikuo took his seat on the stage next to a grinning Tearai Oni, who'd got clammy hands by now. Miss Yosuzume sat beside the fat Principal, her hemline higher and neckline lower than ever.

"First of all" Rihyon started his well-written speech he'd practiced for two-and-a-half hours "I'd like to thank all the students and teachers gathered here today to listen to a lecture on Medicine: The Boon of the Human Existence."

Rikuo yawned as Tearai Oni whispered aside to him "Nura-sama really knows how to make a good opening, eh?"

The last thing Rikuo wanted to do was gossip with the disgusting fat slob but looking at his watch, figured he had time to kill. "Grandpa always had a knack for it."

"And what do _you _have a knack for, Rikuo-sama?" Yosuzume joined in on the conversation, bending as to spill some of her glorious cleavage. Rikuo's red eyes definitely fell on them.

Rikuo leaned closer to her, so much that Tearai Oni began to feel nervous and uncomfortable. "Definitely not cleavage" Rikuo retorted in a calm voice, the sexy smirk still prevalent on his face.

Yosuzume blushed furiously and convulsed back in her chair. And that was the end of the conversation.

On the other hand, Kiyotsugu and Jiro kept a watchful eye on the gates. _Where are they? _Kiyotsugu thought, _the gates are gonna be closed soon! _And to the rich boy's horror, the guards began pulling out the lever and pushing the huge metal doors together. "Oh shit!" Kiyotsugu cursed as he got up and rushed towards them, with his loyal sidekick Jiro in tow. "Please don't close the gates!" Kiyotsugu flailed his arms while running.

Rikuo's eyes shifted to the back of the eager audience where two boys ran with flailing arms towards the gates. He was a bit amused to say the least.

"Stop! Stop!" Kiyotsugu shouted at the top of his voice, though the deep, baritone voice of Rihyon drowned out the boy's high-pitched tone. However, one of the guards noticed him.

"Eh, Kiyojuji-sama?" the guard asked "Is there some problem?" Kiyotsugu _was _a rich kid so it's obvious that everyone knew him.

Kiyotsugu panted while his hands were on his knees and sweat was trailing down his expensive black Burberry suit. He finally got up and wiping his perspiration with a patented handkerchief, exclaimed "Could you wait for some time? My friends are not here yet."

The sterner one of the guards stepped forward. "Sorry Kiyojuji-sama, but we have strict orders to close the gates right after the arrival of the Nuras."

"Can you wait for five minutes, please?" Jiro begged with his best puppy eyes only to receive a glare from the guards. They certainly had respect only for the exclusive members of the social circle.

The guard just shook his head and turning back to Kiyotsugu apologized "Sorry, but-''

Suddenly, there was a loud honk and a white Sedan swerved dangerously inside the campus. Rikuo, who was watching all the commotion for time-pass, raised an eyebrow. _Late friends, huh?_

Saori darted out the car, and cheered excitedly "Made it in time!"

Natsumi got out just in line after Saori and said "You should be thankful we made it _alive_!"

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Tsurara Oikawa stared out the window of her penthouse, utterly bored and craving for the companionship of her childhood friend, Rikuo. She twirled the wine glass in her hand and took a small sip of the thick, crimson liquid before placing the glass on the table and walking into her room.

The private room of Japan's top model, Tsurara Oikawa, was a lavishly furnished place and could accommodate three other average sized bedrooms. The gargantuan blue bed was by the centre wall beside which there were two huge wardrobes with countless numbers of clothes and make-up in them. Besides, there was a shoe rack which housed about forty pairs of Jimmy Choos, Guccis, Louis Vuittons, Christian Louboutins and countless other luxury brands. There was a coffee table in the centre of the room, a 45-inch plasma T.V., a personal bathroom with a sauna and Jacuzzi, a large dressing table with a body mirror and many more such things which will take an entire article to write about.

Tsurara slopped lazily on her bed, dressed in nothing but a turquoise bathrobe. Her long, extremely silky, dark blue locks sprawled all over the blue sheets and she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She'd managed to get a holiday today as she was dead tired from travelling to Ibiza then to Venice and Paris for countless number of photo shoots. Also, she had to be present at three inaugurations tomorrow; one of a jewelry store, a famous patisserie and a music studio. And after that, she'd had to travel all over to Moscow for two weeks for a calendar shoot.

So the beautiful model had planned to laze around and spend time on her favorite activities all day long today.

But unfortunately for her, her childhood friend and love, Rikuo Nura, had been forced to go to a sh**ty little College with his grandfather who'd had to give a stupid lecture to the tiny a**holes present. The fact that Rihyon was giving a lecture didn't bother her in the slightest. But the fact that he'd dragged Rikuo with him to a place where big-boobed sl**s would throw themselves at him, angered her to the core.

Her dashing prince had promised to come and visit her after the function was over but she doubted he'd be able to make it. And it all had to happen today when she finally got a holiday? Tsurara gritted her teeth in anger and threw the crystal elephant that was on the bedside table to the wall, shattering it into a million little pieces. It released some of her irritation. Even though the elephant was lovely, she'd get another one like it. It cost only 250 Us Dollars after all.

She took deep breaths to calm herself and plopped down on her bed, closing her eyes.

At least she could dream about Rikuo . . . . . . . .

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Kana and gang hurriedly made their way to their seats, thankful that not many people had noticed their barging in. Although it was hard for them to calm down Natsumi and Saori's shrieks at seeing Rikuo, poisonous glares from fellow students immediately shut them up. Rihyon continued with his lecture, clearly not noticing the new arrivals while Rikuo kept staring at them, his gaze steady and overwhelming.

Even though Kana could feel someone's intense gaze on her, she had no clue as to the culprit. Her friends were clearly not the ones and she discreetly looked around, searching for the person. The ominous feeling in her bosom was beginning to become more noticeable, as much as she tried to push it away. Her dress had already been ruined by Ryuuji.

What else could possibly go wrong?

But the moment her brown orbs connected with Rikuo's intimidating red ones, the brunette felt jolts of electricity pass through her petite body and she immediately averted her gaze, her heart thudding against her chest. She started panting softly and a blush formed over her cheeks.

Rikuo smirked, clearly entertained by the brunette's flustered expression. _She's kinda cute, _he thought, _though nearly not the striking type. _However, his attention was drawn by Ao who stood near the staircase, who tapped his left thumb. Rikuo stiffened as he recognized the sign. They were in danger.

Ao and Kuro moved their eyes everywhere, clearly looking for any menacing person in the campus. Their black shades helped shadow their eyes, giving an illusion of them looking straight ahead. At least this way, the assassin wouldn't know that they were searching for him.

As soon as they'd reached HCSM, Kuro had noticed someone spying on them from the shadows. Even though the person was skilled, hiding every time Kuro turned his head, the black-haired man wasn't a novice himself with 7 years spent in the Training Academy. Count two years of professional experience with that and you get a death-gun.

So Kuro had informed Ao and the other guards to be alert and keep a hawk's eye one anyone and everyone within the perimeter of the campus. One single mistake could cost the life of the older or younger Nura. Or maybe both.

On the other hand, Kana was feeling increasingly uncomfortable and looking everywhere, unconsciously searching for something. Kiyotsugu, who sat beside her, noticed her fidgeting and asked "Is something wrong, Kana-chan?"

"Huh?" Kana snapped towards her friend "No, it's nothing. It's just . . . . . you know those intuitions I get before something bad happens?" Kana paused, her brown eyes settling on Rihyon's lecturing form. "I'm getting one right now. And it's very strong."

Instead of debunking her sixth sense, like most others would, Kiyotsugu interlaced his fingers and whispered "I think you may be correct. After all, there could be an assassination attempt on the Nuras."

Kana's eyes widened at the suggestion. She'd never thought of it that way but it all made perfect sense. A college campus was the perfect place for an assassination attempt. The panic among the students would give perfect cover to the assassin to run away. _Stop Kana._

Kana shook her head, trying to get rid of all the crazy ideas in her head. Kiyotsugu was murmuring to himself about something and the brunette realized that this was all just imagination. _There's no need to be so imaginative, _she chided herself, _there's gonna be no assassination attempt and I'm sure this intuition doesn't mean anything actually. Relax Kana. Don't get so worked up about it. _

_After all, nothing's gonna happen._


	5. Chapter 4 - Caught

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Hey everyone. I just wanna thank you guys for supporting this story with so much love. Even though there are so less RikuKana fans, the fact you guys support this couple is very heartwarming. I also specially thank my friend Zhane17 who isn't a RikuKana fan but still reads this fic. I love you, girl. :)**

**Special thanks to Dennou Writer, Nakumare, KuroShiroNeko-Chan, WindKikyo, Crest-of-Anubis, Zhane17, Fede194 and Vampire Princess for your love. Also all the other readers who are too lazy to review, favorite or follow, you have my thanks for reading this fic. :)**

**Happy New Year, guys! :)**

**Ch. 4 – Caught in the Act**

The function was going on pretty smoothly. Mr. Rihyon had finished his speech – to the relief of many students – and now was enjoying the buffet along with his bodyguards, who were still on alert. The girls were having a nice time chatting and flirting with their 'Rikuo-sama' who was on his charismatic best. Ao and Kuro were having a nice time grinning and joking in secret whenever Rikuo rejected any of his crazy fan girls.

Kana, Saori and Natsumi were at a distance, spying on Rikuo covertly. Saori dragged the other two to the bathroom for a touch-up before they went and conversed with Rikuo.

Kana watched nervously as Saori applied some more of her scarlet lipstick and Natsumi combed her shoulder-length wavy dark green hair. Finally, she found her voice. "I'm not going to speak to him."

Saori dropped her lipstick in shock and Natsumi's comb met the same fate. "WHAT?!" both exclaimed, eyes widened in appall "WHY?!"

Kana blushed and twiddled her fingers shyly. "Well" she looked up only to meet their demanding gazes "I don't think he'll like me."

Saori face-palmed while Natsumi's mouth hung open. The blonde shook the shy brunette roughly by her shoulders, shouting "Girl, you've gone insane! Rikuo Nura is your idol and-'' they froze when two girls entered the bathroom, staring at them weirdly. One of them went inside the cubicle and the other waited outside, staring at the floor nervously. When the other finally came out, the two quickly left the bathroom as if nothing ever happened. "Where was I?" Saori eyed Natsumi.

"Rikuo Nura was her idol part" answered the girl, applying some mascara on her already thick eyelashes.

"Oh yeah. Rikuo Nura is your idol and that too since HIGH SCHOOL!" Saori finally left the poor girl who slumped against the wall. "Seriously Kana. You're pathetically shy."

"I-I don't know what to say" Kana admitted, her eyelids drooping "I'm not very confident nor as pretty as you or Natsumi. I'm just so . . . so" she brought her knees to her chest and hid her face "ordinary and plain-looking."

"Look, sweetie" Saori put a consoling arm on her shoulder "I won't tell you it isn't important to look externally beautiful. It is. But inner beauty matters more than anything else. And I'm sure internally, you're a gorgeous diva."

"That's right, Kana-chan!" Natsumi cheered "You're so sweet and patient and caring! You don't lose your temper easily, unlike Saori!"

"That's right, that's right" Saori nodded until something snapped "Wait. What?" She growled at Natsumi, pointing an accusing finger at her chest "You mean to say I'm short-tempered?!"

"Yes. No, wait, Saori-chan" Natsumi shook her head intermittently "I meant – that – you-''

"YOU YOURSELF SAID I'M SHORT-TEMPERED!" Saori towered over the scared girl.

As the two continued their usual bickering – everyone knows the dominant one and submissive one – Kana giggled lightheartedly. She was in a much better mood now. She could always count on her friends to cheer her up.

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Even though any observer would say Rikuo was thoroughly enjoying himself flirting away with the girls, in reality, he was bored. For him, all the girls were nothing but idiotic humans who thought they were 'charming' him with all their cleavage show, suggestive remarks and 'accidental' brushings against him. However much he enjoyed cockily retorting, he was now getting tired of the same thing all over and managed to 'disappear' for a while.

Looking around to be sure no one was stalking him – you could never be certain enough – he slipped outside the College auditorium and ran as fast and stealthily he could. Swiftly climbing up the three flights of stairs, he found himself on the roof where he could take in some fresh air.

Rikuo took out a cigarette and puffed out a few wisps of smoke. He took out his cell phone to see if he had any missed calls. 5 from Tsurara – as expected of her – 3 from some business partners, 2 from his mom and a few unknown. He sighed and placed the phone inside his suit pocket. Right now, he only wanted to enjoy the fresh air on his face and the lovely sunset view.

Suddenly, some movement behind him made Rikuo quickly pull out his gun from its hiding place and aim it into the shadows. "Out" he growled in a low yet commanding voice.

"It's just me, Rikuo-san" Kuro reassured, slipping out of the shadows. Rikuo sighed and pulled back his gun, placing it into its holster again. He then turned back and started admiring the sunset again. However, he was interrupted with a knife thrown at him, which he grabbed by its hilt as it almost collided with his back.

"Shit" he heard Kuro – actually the assassin who was disguised as him – curse "How'd you find out?"

"First of all" Rikuo smirked, turning around "Kuro doesn't call me _Rikuo-san. _And second" he threw the knife with such alarming ferocity that the assassin barely missed it and shot him soon after that "You're too slow."

The assassin let out a grunt of pain as he reached for his own gun on his back. However, before he could pull the trigger, Rikuo kicked the gun out of his hands. Then, the Nura heir kicked him on the spot he was shot at – a.k.a his arm – and the assassin grunted in pain before colliding over.

Suddenly, the real Ao and Kuro burst in through the door, their expressions wild with fright. They rushed over to the shot assassin and to where Rikuo was standing. Kuro began examining his body while Ao said "You shouldn't run off like that, Rikuo-sama. You may not be so lucky next time."

"Luck?" the red-eyed man chortled in a low voice "It's all a matter of skill, my friend."

"He's dead" Kuro's voice coldly remarked, checking the assassin's pulse.

Rikuo's eyes widened in confusion as he stooped down and checked his pulse for himself. "It can't be" the Nura heir gasped "I . . . . He was alive a few seconds ago! A gunshot in the arm can't kill someone!"

"He's taken poison" Kuro said as he looked at his look-alike's tongue "Most likely Sarin or Hemlock." Kuro then turned towards the other two. "This has been a planned murder so that we don't find out the real perpetrators behind it."

"Take off his mask" Rikuo gestured "I wanna see who it is."

Kuro nodded as he pulled off the assassin's mask. A young, male face was behind it with closed eyes and a disappointed look. Not someone they recognized. However, something flickered in Ao's head. But he decided to not say anything. "Looks like a young assassin" Kuro said "Though I don't know who it is."

"Hmmm" Rikuo seemed to be in deep thought. Then getting up, the Nura heir said "Let's get back. People must've noticed our disappearance by now." Kuro nodded and got up. However, Ao remained crouched.

As Rikuo walked away, Kuro noticed that his friend wasn't behind him. "Ao?" he turned back, snapping the big man out of his reverie "Is something wrong, my friend?"

"Huh?" the brunette asked, getting up "Oh, it's nothing! I was just wondering who's trying to kill Rikuo-sama."

"Even I wonder who it is" Kuro seemed to be taken in with his friend's lies "Though right now, I really have no clue." Kuro turned to his friend but frowned when he saw Ao wasn't listening to him but seemed to be in deep thought.

_Where have I seen him now?_

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"Where is he? Where is he? WHERE IS HE?!" Saori grunted in frustration as she scanned the bustling auditorium, not finding a trace of Rikuo Nura anywhere. Natsumi and Kana were looking in the other direction, but none seemed to have any progress. Saori let out a disappointed sigh but screeched when she felt someone tap her shoulder. Blushing because of all the stares thrown at her, she turned back to scream at the person who scared her. "Kiyotsugu!" she whisper-screamed "Where the hell were you?!"

"Me?" the raven-haired man placed his hand over his chest in a melodramatic way. "Where the hell were YOU?!" Jiro popped up beside him, his face stuffed with pasta. Saori sighed in exasperation as she got the answer to her question.

"Saori-chan!" Natsumi called, running towards the group "I couldn't find him anywhere! I think he's disappeared!"

"Who?" Kiyotsugu asked, picking up a glass of Pina Colada from a plate of the waiter.

"Rikuo, dumbass" Saori said, her brown orbs travelling all over the room. However, she suddenly remembered something. "Wait." She turned to Natsumi "Where's Kana?"

A horrified look appeared on Natsumi's face. "Oh shi-'' but before the cat-eyed girl could complete her sentence, the light in the auditorium suddenly went off. Horrified gasps filled the room as people fumbled here and there to open the curtains.

"S-Saori-chan" Natsumi quivered, sticking to the 'blonde's arm' "I-I'm scared."

"I am Kiyotsugu, Natsumi."

"Eh?" Jiro's voice screeched "Then who's holding me?"

As soon as the curtains were drawn and the fading sunset light flooded the auditorium, the blonde boy looked up only to see an annoyed Saori who dropped him mercilessly on the floor. A huge blush bloomed on Natsumi's face when she realized she was literally sticking to Kiyotsugu but the dense boy was busy in noticing something else. "Rikuo Nura is right there!" he pointed towards the now reappeared heir "What do you mean he disappeared?"

"Eh?" the two girls chorused together, surprised to see the white-haired male charming the other girls with his enigmatic aura. "Guess he'd been to the bathroom then" Natsumi said with an awkward smile.

"Yes, you maybe right" Saori cracked a half-hearted smile as well.

"But that still doesn't solve where Kana is!" Jiro reminded them.

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Kana was looking worriedly at her surroundings. She'd been separated from Natsumi in the large crowd and had been searching for her friends. She was near the backdoor when the lights had gone off when she felt three or four people push her and rush outside. She'd caught a whiff of Old Spice deodorant – the one used by men – when a horrible feeling formed into the pit of her heart.

A nasty feeling similar to one she'd got before Cookie's death.

So the brunette had not-so-cleverly decided to follow them, remembering her previous conversation with Kiyotsugu. _"I think you may be correct. After all, there could be an assassination attempt on the Nuras." _Those words were clearly ringing in her head now.

The brunette girl had come in the direction they had scurried to, or most probably it was that. They'd simply disappeared somewhere along the last 5 minutes and Kana wasn't a good detective. The only thing she was relying on now was her trustworthy intuition. _You're overreacting, Kana, _she reminded herself, _Nothing's gonna happen and you know it. Why they could've forgotten some important notes in class! Or maybe they'd heard about some accident! Or maybe-_

The low mumbling noise of something – or someone – forced her to freeze in her tracks.

She quietly crept along the intersection to the corridor of the second years, her ears strained to hear anything at all. There were very dim lights which along with the cold temperature gave Kana Goosebumps and she rubbed her arms, feeling pricks rise on her skin. She crept and peeked a little, just in time to see a masked person closing the door to one of the classrooms.

After many seconds had passed by, Kana finally mentally slapped herself and tiptoed towards the classroom. _I know I'm gonna regret this, _was the phrase which kept chanting itself in her mind.

Through the small glass-like window – which was her only mode of seeing, since the curtains of the windows were drawn – she could see three masked figures inside, though she couldn't clearly make them out. They seemed to be discussing something and Kana pressed her ear against the door. However, since they were speaking too softly, she couldn't make out even small parts of the conversation.

_Wait a second, _something flickered inside her mind, _Aren't there supposed to be four people? _Looking inside to confirm if she was right, her thoughts continued, _But there're only three. _Her eyes widened in realization. _If that's so then the fourth one-_

"My, my" a creepy voice slithered inside her ear "Do we have a guest now?"


	6. Chapter 5 - Crimson

**~ Author's Note ~**

**Hey guys! Back soon this time, aren't I? ;) Ha-ha. Nothing much to say except for the fact that the good stuff's coming soon. Hope you guys patiently wait till then! :)**

**Special thanks to Dennou Writer, The Crest of Anubis, Wind Kikyo, Nakumare, Kuro Shiro Neko-chan, Vampire Princess, Fede 194, Zhane 17, Night Dreamer, Nayrael, Guest, Marchioness Scarlet and Night Star 09 for reviewing, favoriting, following, the works. Big thanks to people who don't follow, favorite or review as well. :)**

**Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy! :3**

**Ch. 5 – Crimson**

"She isn't in the girls washroom" Natsumi said, a worried look on her face.

"Che's nut noer thue phood soctun" Jiro remarked, the donuts stuffed in his mouth making things difficult for people to understand him.

"And she's not in the auditorium as well!" Saori remarked irritably, feeling angry at her lost brunette friend. Where could've Kana possibly gone? She wasn't the type to leave her friends and go somewhere without a call. She was the most responsible and matured in their ragtag group.

"Hmmm" Kiyotsugu murmured, seemingly lost in deep thought "She came in Saori's car so no way could she have gone home." He turned to his friends. "This can mean only two possible deductions." He stated in a very Sherlock Holmes kind of way.

"Care to explain?" Saori growled crossing her arms over her chest. She was already irritated at Kana for leaving them without a word and simply could not stand Kiyotsugu and his dramatic explanations right now.

"First" Kiyotsugu brought up his index finger to emphasize his words "She's gone out of this auditorium."

Saori face-palmed and sarcastically replied "You're a genius Kiyotsugu! Yeah, who would've thought she went out of this auditorium? Considering she was nowhere to be found in the auditorium." The raven-haired boy shot her an angry glare but did not say anything.

"Natsumi, would you try her phone again please?" he instead turned his attention to the green-haired girl who desperately typing on her phone.

"I've already tried it thrice!" she grunted in annoyance "I wonder why she isn't picking it up!"

"Hmmm" Kiyotsugu muttered again "Then that means my second deduction is correct."

"Which is?" Saori demanded as all eyes fell on the raven-haired boy. They could feel a slight tension in the air.

"Kana is in trouble" he added solemnly.

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Kana didn't struggle much as the masked man, the one who'd caught her eavesdropping, tied her to a chair, bound her feet, mouth and eyes. She knew it wouldn't be of any use even if she did since she was a weak teenage girl while they were four . . . . assassins. Yeah, that'd be the correct word. They could easily overpower her in no time and she would only end up bringing harm to herself. "You aren't like the others" she heard the same man say, sensing an amused tone to his voice "You're unusually quiet. Have something planned up your sleeve?" This sentence was completed by a sinister chuckle.

She felt a small smile creep up to her face. She, Kana, would plan something up her sleeve? She wasn't _that _clever no matter how many good grades she got. There was no way out of this.

Or maybe there was . . . . . .

But her train of thought was recklessly interrupted when she heard a clicking sound and something cold and hard being aimed at her forehead. Something metal. And most probably, a gun. "I'd like to shoot you and splatter your brains all over the walls and floor" it was a different voice – young, male and harsh. "But before I do that, there're some questions we wanna ask you." A slight pause. "So answer them properly or I hope you like hanging upside-down with your organs out for show."

That voice, it'd been less than a minute she'd heard it and she already dreaded it. Her nasty intuition was growing by the minute and she felt her heart clenching with fear and terror. Nevertheless, she managed to keep her cool and not scream her head off, a sin her younger self would've committed long ago.

As the tape was harshly removed from her mouth, the only sound that escaped her sore lips was a small hiss. She felt a little more at ease now. "If you scream for help, your friends are gonna find your bloodied corpse here." Okay, her ease had been totally eradicated now.

"Do you work for Hikage Daito Ryu?" What? Hikage . . . . . Daito Ryu? The Underworld assassin? That was what all this was about? There were so many questions fluttering through her mind but she kept quiet, knowing if she asked any of them, her liver would be lying out in the open.

"No" she answered in a quizzical yet cool voice. Another chuckle erupted in the room.

"I like her" the man with the snake-like voice commented, amused and Kana could swear he was smirking right now. There was a tongue-click after which the gun-aimer continued his interrogation.

"Do you work for Rikuo Nura?" Okay, this one made a little bit sense though Kana was still unsure if this people were against Rikuo Nura or not. But judging by their behavior, she felt they were.

"No" came the reply again.

She could feel the gun nuzzle on her forehead dig deeper and it was actually starting to hurt now. But she still remained silent, trying not to show any of the pain on her face. What had she gotten herself into? She should never have followed them here. However, it was no use thinking about it now since she'd already managed to dig her own grave. "Just who the f**k are you?!" the male voice screamed.

Kana flinched, the screech hurting her ears. She was beginning to feel scared now. No, that wasn't the correct word. What was it? . . . . . Terrified. Yeah, that was it. She was beginning to feel terrified. However, she balled her fists, trying hard not to scream. In a slightly shaky voice, she answered "Kana Ienaga. 20 years old. 2nd year college student in-'' she was interrupted by a harsh slap. On _her _cheek.

"Calm down, Fist" a new voice commanded; a deep, male voice. But Kana was too shocked to pay any more attention. The slap stung. It stung hard. She was sure a bruise had been formed on her cheek. Tears were threatening to slip out of her eyes now. She was thankful that they'd put a cloth on her eyes. At least they wouldn't see her tearful orbs.

As the gun was removed from her forehead, the brunette hitched in a sharp breath, intuitionally looking up, sensing someone approaching her. Her heart began to thud faster, as if warning her of something terrible about to happen. Footsteps stopped until they were right in front of her and when a voice was heard, Kana almost screamed.

"I'm deeply sorry for the actions of my colleague, Ienaga-san" apologized the same, deep voice from before, sounding sincere. "And we're sorry for having suspected you." Kana's heart skipped a beat. That means . . . . . she was going to be set free? It was too good to be true. But she still held onto the thought, fiercely wishing for it to come alive.

And yet again, there was a gun click. The familiar feeling of a cold metal being pointed at her forehead rooted itself in her mind. "However" it was the same voice; deep, commanding and terrifying "I'm also sorry we have to kill you."

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His red eyes transferred over to the ragtag group as they searched for something – or rather someone – fussing here and there. For some reason, they held his interest, attracting him like a magnet. Was it because of that . . . girl? The one with the pretty, brown, doe-eyes? Wait. She wasn't here at the moment. Or was it something more sinister, more untraceable? Whatever it was, Rikuo focused his attention on them instead of the flirty young women that were showering him with lots of cleavage shots.

The blonde boy and cat-eyed girl were saying something to the Kiyojuji kid, something which seemed to be worrying them. Rikuo excused himself from the pretty ladies surrounding him in order to get closer to the group. Ao and Kuro, who were watching Rikuo from the shadows, discreetly followed their young master.

Rikuo stopped where he'd be close enough to hear them but far enough not to get noticed. Making eye-contact with Kuro, he put his long, thin index finger on his lips and pointed to his ear and the group, gesturing his two bodyguards to eavesdrop. The Nura heir could hear snippets of conversation from the group.

"Care to explain?" the irate blonde girl demanded, hands crossed over her ample bosom. Rikuo leaned on the wall close by, taking a swig of the Bloody Mary being served. It was one of his favorite drinks.

"First" the Kiyojuji kid emphasized in a detective-like way – to which Rikuo rolled his eyes – "She's gone out of this auditorium." Yeah, _real _smart.

The blonde slapped her forehead and shouted "You're a genius Kiyotsugu! Yeah, who would've thought she went out of this auditorium? Considering she was nowhere to be found in the auditorium." He agreed with the busty girl there.

Kiyojuji kid glared at her then turned to the cat-eyed girl, asking her to try the missing girl's – probably the brunette from before – phone. The green-haired girl retorted something about her already trying it thrice. A thoughtful, dark expression came over the Kiyojuji kid's face. "Then that means my second deduction is correct" he murmured.

"Which is?" the busty blonde demanded, all eyes falling on him. Even Rikuo could not help containing his curiosity, as he stared at the boy. The Nura heir could feel an atmospheric tension set in the room.

"Kana is in trouble" the raven-haired teen replied earning blank expressions from the others. An image of the dead assassin flitted into the white-haired man's mind.

"Impossible!" Saori shook her head aggressively, not believing the fact "What trouble could she possibly get into?"

"I think I may have the answer to your question" Rikuo stated, walking over to the confused teenagers. On recognizing him, Saori, Natsumi and Jiro uttered shocked gasps while Kiyotsugu smirked.

"R-Rikuo Nura-san!" Natsumi stuttered, bowing as low as her mini-skirt would allow her "I-It's a pleasure to meet you!" She smiled sweetly at him while stepping on an ogling Jiro's foot.

"What are you doing here?" Saori smirked seductively, twirling a piece of her blonde curls on her crafted index finger "Eavesdropping, eh?"

Rikuo matched her flirty smile with his own killer grin, lowering his face to hers as the blonde's sun-kissed face turned into cherry red "I could not help containing my curiosity over the issue of your missing friend."

"It's wonderful of you to help us, Rikuo-san" Kiyotsugu walked to the front, putting on his formal best as he shook hands with the young man "But please don't bother yourself over this. We'll find our friend soon."

"As you yourself said, Kiyojuji-san" Rikuo replied "Your young friend maybe in trouble. We've received information that assassins may have arrived to this college in order to get rid of me and my old man there." He gestured to Rihyon with his thumb who was currently having a nice chat with Principal Tearai Oni.

At the mention of assassins, the four got horrified expressions on their face. Natsumi clamped her hands shut over her mouth, Jiro looked startled out of his wits, Saori just stared expressionlessly at him while Kiyotsugu tried to remain composed but could not help looking scared. "Assassins?" Natsumi repeated in a quiet whisper.

"Did they kidnap Kana-chan?" Saori asked, terror reflecting in her brown orbs.

"Do not worry" Rikuo said in his deep, baritone voice, trying to assure the teens "Chances of that are low." _I hope, _he mentally added. "However, we're gonna search for your friend now. It's best you don't cause a commotion though. It'll provide a better cover for the assassins to escape, if they are there. I suggest we inconspicuously slip out and search for your friend."

The four looked to be at their wits end. However, Kiyotsugu, having taken on the role as the leader of the group, stepped forward, replying "We're enormously thankful for your help, Nura-san. But you really don't need to bother yourself with this."

Rikuo just smirked at him "Too bad for you, I'm a nosey person, Kiyojuji-san."

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_Distract them. Distract, distract, distract. _"Wait" Kana muttered; her heart in her mouth. She wasn't a fan of lying but you know what they say – desperate situations call for desperate actions.

"Yes?" the commanding voice rung out confused.

"Why do you wanna kill me? Why stain your hands with the crimson blood of an innocent?" she babbled, trying not to stammer. She knew it was useless but only if she could delay for some time then maybe . . . . . "I haven't even s_een _you. Why can't you let me go?"

A sigh and a tongue-click were heard in the empty room. The gun did not leave her forehead – disappointing the brunette – but the voice did reply back. "It's because you know too much."

After a pause, the snake-like voice chuckled "Seems like I overestimated your intelligence, Kana-chan."

_You have no right to call me Kana-chan, _she wanted to spit in the man's face but held back her tongue. Saying it would only confirm her near-future death. "B-But" she went on babbling anyway "I don't know a thing about you. Except for the fact-''

"Just kill the b***h already!" the rash young man spoke and Kana shuddered hearing violent footsteps approaching her. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for a painful death. _This is it, _faces floated through her mind. _Jiro, Saori, Natsumi, Kiyotsugu, mom, dad, _a tear dropped down her cheek, _Goodbye._

And a gunshot echoed in the corridor.

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"I love crimson" Tsurara said, staring at a dress of the mentioned color "It's my favorite color."

"Crimson?" Youhime asked, staring at her employer curiously. The brunette picked out a white gown, beaming at its design "I think white suits you more."

"White is too pure for a person like me" the model muttered in a tiny voice, running her hands over the fabric of her crimson dress.

"Did you say something, Oikawa-san?" Youhime asked, averting her gaze towards the pale woman.

"I was just saying I find white too bland and expressionless" Tsurara offered her million-dollar smile to her housemaid "Crimson is more seductive and expressive." _And the only color to resemble my sins, _she cast her gaze downwards. Youhime tried to figure out the expression on her employer's face but being unable to, just shook her head and continued folding clothes.

Youhime Narumi had been working for Tsurara Oikawa since the past three years. At first, she'd been elated and enthralled at getting the opportunity to work for the famous model. And she still was. Oikawa-san was the perfect mistress – kind, friendly, sweet, helpful and lenient. She'd often give Youhime her old dresses she was tired of wearing and always accepted her leaves, for the tiniest of reasons like going on a date with her boyfriend.

But the brunette maid knew that the lovely woman was hiding something dark between her cheerful façade. She'd often heard the woman talking to herself while looking at a mirror or acting as if someone else was there with her. She'd talk to an imaginative person, act as if she was 'hugging', 'kissing' or 'holding hands' with him.

But what Youhime didn't understand was why she did that. Oikawa-san had thousands of admirers, many from rich and noble households of Japan. She didn't have to _pretend _to have a boyfriend.

But that was not all. Lately, Youhime had been hearing muffled crying and sobbing noises from her employer's room. Sometimes screams and the sound of objects breaking. The brunette had been too scared to confront her mistress about it so had kept mum and ignorant all this time.

But you know what the heights were?

The maid had found a bloodied knife while cleaning her mistress's bathroom. It had been hidden under the sink. Terrified, she'd quickly washed it with detergent and put in the kitchen at its designated place.

What was wrong with Oikawa-san? Why was she doing this? Something was killing her inside and Youhime had to find out what it was.

"Youhime" her employer's voice rang out, sweet as honey "After you're done folding the clothes, do the laundry, 'kay? I've to go out for the night." Tsurara got up and taking her Lavie purse, walked out of the room.

_There she goes, _Youhime sighed, staring after her mistress.

Sometimes, the brunette wished she had mind-reading powers.


End file.
